Spectacular video game art goes 'Into the Pixel' (pictures)

Rayman Legends - Castle Siege

Celebrating its 10th year, the "Into the Pixel" video game art exhibition makes its annual appearance alongside the mega E3 gaming expo set for June 11-13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 attendees can check out larger-than-life exhibits featuring these selected works in the Concourse Foyer of the convention center.

"Into the Pixel," hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and Entertainment Software Association, highlights 16 stunning works from some of the greatest video game artists in the business. The exhibit also serves as a great way to get a unique (and often personal) look at some of the most highly anticipated video games of 2013 and beyond. A jury consisting of seven members, each with high-level expertise in the video game and/or art industries, chose the winners.

"Our industry continues to expand with the emergence of compelling content from independent, mobile and free-to-play developers, and the 2013 collection really reflects the incredibly diverse landscape of the interactive community as a whole," said Martin Rae, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

In this production art piece from Rayman Legends, a swarm of deathly arrows rain down upon Rayman, Globox, and the Teensies as they try to storm the castle entrance. A team of artists from Ubisoft created this image using Adobe Illustrator and UbiArt Framework.

Broken Age

Game designer Tim Schafer, responsible for such beloved classics as Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, earlier this year made an atomic splash on Kickstarter by asking gamers to support a new project by his studio Double Fine. In just a month, troves of interested people contributed more than $3.3 million to the project, which became the point-and-click game Broken Age. In Nathan "Bagel" Stapley's beautiful Photoshop-created illustration, we see the Broken Age protagonists -- a young boy and girl -- worlds apart, yet sharing a similar scene. Plans call for Broken Age to arrive sometime in late fall for Android, Linux, iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows.

Fetch - Dark Ages

Big Fish Studios' Fetch for iPad, released in late April, puts players in an animated world of adventure and calamity. Fantastic locales include prehistoric oceans and rocket ships. Artist Brian Thompson used Photoshop to create this image.

Crossroads

ArenaNet, developer of the popular Guild Wars franchise, tapped artist Daniel Dociu for this teaser image of an unannounced game that will likely debut at the E3 2013 gaming expo. The futuristic city seen in this Photoshop illustration features many references to Hong Kong.

Command & Conquer - Junkyard

As Command & Conquer (for Windows) ramps up development, some early artwork from the video game made the cut in this year's "Into the Pixel." Artist Raymond Swanland used Photoshop to create this portrait of the Global Liberation Army's Savage General.

League of Legends - Freljord

The Freljord event in League of Legends (for Windows and Mac OS X) revealed deeper lore for the massively popular multiplayer online battle arena video game. In this Photoshop illustration by James Paick, countless soldiers make their way to a colossal outpost stationed alongside a mountain cliff.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - Last Stand

The arrival of the StarCraft II expansion pack Heart of the Swarm (for Windows and Mac OS X) introduced dozens of new missions and units, as well as many gameplay changes. An enormous team of artists at Blizzard Entertainment -- using Autodesk Maya, Renderman, Nuke, Z-Brush, Mudbox, and Adobe Photoshop -- created this image of a Terran soldier standing near some heavy tanks and a behemoth statue.

Super Time Force - Super Summer Vacation Force

Super Time Force, by Capybara Games, makes a fantastic arrival -- awash with 1980s pop culture -- sometime this year on the Xbox Live Arcade. Artists Mike and Vic Nguyen used Photoshop to create this pixel-riffic piece.

Icycle: On Thin Ice - Schemes Collage

Icycle: On Thin Ice, due soon from Damp Gnat, looks to follow the same formula of delivering a hilarious side-scrolling adventure for the patient player. Artist Reece Millidge tapped Adobe Flash Pro to create this montage of images from the upcoming sequel due later this year for iOS and Web browsers.

Destiny - The Buried City

As Bungie moves on from Halo and focuses solely on the shared-world shooter Destiny (for a potential release in 2013 or 2014), gamers salivating for more information don't have much to work with other than sweeping promises and grandiose concept art. This piece, created in Photoshop by artist Dorje Bellbrook, reveals the tattered remains of a city in ruins that's slowly disappearing to rising sand drifts.

Dragon Age - The Chant

Set in the familiar fantasy world Thedas, Dragon Age III: Inquisition should arrive sometime in 2013 and offer enhancements such as improved customization, combat, and more engaging gameplay. Using Photoshop, artists Nick Thornborrow and Matt Rhodes created this breathtaking image of a hall featuring stained glass windows adorned with sacred imagery.

Wonderbook: Digg’s Nightcrawler - Three Blind Mice

The childhood tale of The Three Blind Mice returns with an interactive twist in the fantasy video game Diggs Nightcrawler, a Wonderbook-enhanced title for the PlayStation 3 that should arrive in the U.S. sometime in 2013. Illustrators Tyler Schatz and Christina Faulkner used Autodesk Maya and Photoshop to create this fun image.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - The Naval Duel

Set sail for mayhem in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, a multiplatform action-adventure title set for release on October 29. For this beautiful illustration, artist Martin Deschambault used Photoshop to show us that hair-raising calm right before the start of a naval battle between two titans.

Destiny - Back From the Wild

A futuristic soldier, surrounded by empty ammunition and heavy splatters of blood, rests after a major confrontation. This piece, created by artist Jaime Jones in Photoshop, is the second winner in the exhibition for Bungie's upcoming video game Destiny.

Transistor - Cloudbank

Transistor, due in 2014, is another science fiction action-filled role-playing title in the making by Supergiant Games. Illustrator Jen Zee used Photoshop to create this image of a heroine wielding a mysterious sword with glowing inscriptions.